I look up at the house and shake my head. “I’m sorry, Nana, but I really don't want to go in there at the moment.”
“Don’t worry. None of them are here,” my dad growls from behind me, and I jump in surprise as he comes back from the stables minus a mini. “Come on, we've got a lot to talk about, and I hope you give us a chance to make it up to you.” His eyes practically beg me to listen, so I take a deep breath and nod my head. Knowing that none of the siblings are here makes a big difference. I’m not entirelyhappyto go inside, but I’m a lot more comfortable and don’t feel like starting an argument that will lead to hurting their feelings.
Dad and Poppy lead the way, and Nana tucks my arm under hers as the two of us walk a little slower behind them. “Samson looked magnificent when he reared up like that, but weren't you scared?” I appreciate the small talk to break the uncomfortable silence, and I squeeze her hand in thanks.
“I can't deny my heart doesn't race every time a horse does that, but he was just showing off for you. He’s a ham,” I explain, a fond smile growing. “He’s actually my favorite. I've always wanted a Friesian. Maybe one day when I settle down I’ll look into getting myself one, but for now I’m happy being able to ride him on occasion.”
We reach the back deck where there’s a brunch spread laid out on the table we ate at the night of the bet, and my heart skips a beat at the thought of Oliver. Out of all of them, I think his betrayal hurt the most. He was the one I’d spent the most time with, and I’d thought we were getting along. Shit, the way he had me up against the wall at his studio made me think we were more than getting along. For him to not at least warn me makes me so disappointed. The others, well, I guess I should have expected something like that, especially from Jacinta, but I thought both Oliver and Kai were warming up to me.
“Come on, let's have some cakes and a coffee.” Nana gives me a kiss on the cheek before sitting down, and I join her at the table with Poppy and Dad and wait for what’s going to be one of the more uncomfortable conversations of my life.
Chapter Two
Harlow
The silence is heavy as Nana pours coffee into mugs for us all, offering sugar and milk to me. Once we all have one sitting in front of us and she’s plied us with cake, Brad refuses to let the silence continue.
“Harlow, I don't know how I can apologize for the other night. I’m at a loss right now because I never expected my supposedly adult children to be capable of such pettiness.” I go to say something, barely getting my mouth open before he holds his hand up, stopping me. “Please let me finish. I’m under no illusion that it was one of them who made that billboard happen, and I’ve seen to it that Jacinta has been put on a leave of absence because I know for sure that all final promotions get run by her. Whether it was her idea or she’d been put up to it by one of the others doesn't matter. She could have stopped it, and she didn’t.”
My heart races at his words, unable to believe he did that. What are the chances she's going to be gunning for me even harder now? A lot higher than I’d like, that’s for damn sure.
Nana pats my hand in reassurance, likely seeing the panic in my eyes. “Don't you worry about Jacinta. She's going to be too worried about keeping her company to mess with you anymore.” Her words are cold, and frankly, scary. I don't doubt that Jacinta is in for a world of trouble; I know how ruthless this woman before me can be when she feels it’s warranted.
Poppy takes over, his voice less fiery than Nana’s. “I know we have no right to ask this, and if you turn us down, none of us will hold it against you, but would you please find it in your heart to stay?” Gah, the guilt just continues to pile on. On one hand, I believe my reaction is warranted, but on the other, I just want to give these wonderful people what they want.
“We know that having the horses here is the only reason you’re still around,” Brad says gently, and my eyes widen just a bit. Nana and Poppy have known me long enough to have a general idea for how I might deal with uncomfortable situations, but I’m surprised Brad already has me figured out.
“I rang Alex when you wouldn’t talk to me, and he said to give you time, but to not be surprised if after they were gone, so were you. Don’t be mad at him, please. He was only looking out for you,” Nana assures me, and I nod for them to continue, putting any reaction to Alex’s meddling on pause.
“We’d like you to stay and get to know us, and I still want you to get to know the kids.” My stomach rolls with Brad’s statement.Yeah, because that wentsowell last time.
I take a measured breath, hoping to at least start my answer with a calm tone. “How can you ask that of me? You might not know the extent of the abuse I suffered at my mother's hands, but to ask me to continue to suffer abuse at the hands of your children is downright awful.”Yeah, that zen didn’t last long.I’m angry now, not bothering to hide it, and he drops his eyes, looking ashamed.
“What about this? Instead of having anything to do with my kids, I assign you someone else to show you all our businesses?” There’s something desperate in his eyes, and while I understand Poppy asking me to stay for his, Nana, and Dad’s sakes, I really don’t understand this insistence for me to give the “kids” another chance or get involved in Neighpalm Industries.
It’s my turn to hold my hand up and stop him. “Why, Dad? Why is it so important to you that I learn about them? I don't want anything to do with them, and I definitely don't want your money or anything like that. I just wanted to get to knowyou.”
His eyes fill with unshed tears, and he reaches over and grabs my hand, squeezing it tight.
“Thank you for saying that. You don't know how much it means to me to hear you say that. But Neighpalm Industries is your legacy now, and you’re now going to be subject to scrutiny by the press and our competitors,” he explains. “I need you to be informed so that if you’re asked a question, you can respond accordingly. I don’t want the press to eat you alive, and there’s a good chance they will if you come across as ignorant. I’ve had decades to protect my other kids and grow them into knowing the businesses, but with you, I’ve missed out on so much time. I just want to keep you as safe as I can, and the spotlight is a dangerous place to be.” I take a moment to consider his words, unfortunately finding them pretty reasonable, and when I look at Nana and Poppy, they’re nodding their heads in agreement.
“Okay, I can see how that could be important, but are people really going to care about me?” I ask, not able to believe that they will. Sure, I’ve stood out throughout my life; the foster kid of a family as rich as Max’s was always a topic of conversation no matter how many years had gone by. But in the midst of all this- modeling shoots, movies, energy drinks, and more- does little old me really cause such a splash?
“Honey, the other children get stalked on a regular basis by the media and groupies. I don’t mean to makeanykind of excuse for my grandkids, but those experiences are part of the reason they're so damn prickly,” Nana explains to me.
“Prickly?” Brad snorts, not in amusement. “More like wrapped in razor wire. Like I said, I can’t apologize enough for my children's behavior.”
“Nor should you have to,” Poppy bellows all of a sudden. “Please don't hold this over Brad's head,” he begs of me. “Those children are adults and as such made their own decisions. Just believe us when we say we don't support them, and if you don't wish to ever have anything to do with them again, we willnotforce it.” His gaze moves to Dad and Nana like he’s giving them a warning not to push me.
His fierce frown has me believing every word he says, and I start to feel a little better about the situation. It seems to me that the Summers siblings have fucked up big time, but I have every doubt that they’re all of a sudden going to start being nice to me. They're spoiled enough to believe that the consequences for their actions won't have a huge impact on their lives, but I have a feeling they're in for a rude awakening.
“Let’s just give me a few days to deal with the horses. They’ll rest today, and then I’ll work with them every day until they’re needed on set. As long as Maxine is finished with the movie she’s working on by then, she’ll take over with the horses. If not, I’ll have to stay and manage them for the director until either they finish with them or Maxine wraps up her job,” I explain. They all nod in understanding, Dad and Nana taking the advice to go with my lead and not try to push me.
“After that, I’ll see how I feel. Is that okay with you? There are still some things I haven't done here yet, so there's a good chance I'll stay for at least a little while after the horses are sent back. Shane and Alex are going to do some more sightseeing with me and take me down to SeaWorld in San Diego as well. I’m really interested in seeing how they’re trying to make things better for their killer whales. Even though they should be in much larger tanks or released back into the wild, at least they're no longer doing the daily shows with them,” I ramble slightly, and even worse, I’m completely aware that I’m rambling. The word vomit is a nervous habit that I thought I’d broken years ago, but I guess stressful situations can bring it back.
They smile, and Brad lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“But I think I should stay with Alex and Shane,” I tell them, forcing the words out before I lose the opportunity, and the smiles turn into frowns, so I quickly explain. “Although their behavior was atrocious, they're still your kids, and I don't want them being kicked out of their home for me. That’s just going to cause more resentment, which, I think we can all agree, is the last thing we need.”
